


Prom night

by RoseyStarlight



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Anxiety, Daydreaming, F/M, Falling In Love, First Dance, I'm Bad At Tagging, Nervousness, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Post-Time Skip, Self-Esteem Issues, Tags Are Hard, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-27 13:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20408428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseyStarlight/pseuds/RoseyStarlight
Summary: After about a decade has passed, with the war long gone behind them, the time for the princess ball has come around again. Princess Entrapta is as excited as ever for the event to occur once again, with provision of both subjects she can study and tiny food she can devour. The days are ticking by and the most exciting thing is sitting in the back of her mind, as she once again practices how to dance.-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C-pbKVuS70(play this when the song starts ^^^^^^^)





	1. I Wanna Slow Dance With You...

Entrapta extended her hair like a grappling hook and sailed across the ceiling, surprising a gaggle of horde soldiers as she flew into one of the open-air vents. She quickly climbed through the passage ways with ease, having grown familiar with the vent’s quick turns and steep drops. Her goggles were slapped onto her face as she sailed, as directed by Hordak so that she could have at least some protection from injury. He had initially suggested a helmet for her to wear, after witnessing her high rate of speed, but she disregarded the sentiment. Besides, she thought, it would only seek to restrict the ways she could move her hair around. Then, with limited movability, the helmet would then end up having the opposite effect of its purpose and would cause her to crash more often. Comparatively, she was aiming for precision rather than accuracy when it came to her hair travel. Still though, mostly to sate her own curiosity, she ran simulations of crashes versus non crashes with the helmet being the main variable, and her initial hypothesis had proved correct. He was downtrodden, but then insisted after noticing her goggles that she wear those instead and she obliged just for him. Though these thoughts were a mere backdrop in her mind in comparison to her excitement roaring in the foreground. She could barely contain it and was fully prepared to stop for nothing.

That train of thought, of course, derailed as she saw Imp suddenly appear around a corner.

She screeched and tried in vain to grab onto a pipe leading from the vent wall but it snapped and it just served to throw off her momentum. She tumbled down, landing first on her arm, before crashing into one of the side panels. She groaned, and eventually sat up, cracking her neck and then proceeded to rub the back of it. She hissed as her arm started to burn and lifted it up to her face to see that she had actually retained a rug burn, or rather, vent burn on the exposed underside. Though as she continued her assessment of herself, concluded that she remained unscathed. As she sat back, she glared at Imp, who after flinching back from her loud fall, was now snickering at her clumsiness, despite him being the cause.

Entrapta snorted before reaching into her hair, “Y’know I actually have something for you-”

She paused as she was unable to find the letters and turned around. They were smooshed against one of the air grilles on the side of the vent and as she picked them up, she squeaked as two eyes stared from where the grille led out. The eyes on the other end immediately disappeared as a similar squeak emanated from the source as well as a clattering on the floor.

“Dammit Kyle!” shouted Lonnie

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t expecting _her_ to be there!”

Entrapta blinked, and then paid it no more mind, just deciding to give one of the enclosed letters to Imp.

“I need you to give that to Hordak, and make sure you don’t open it!” She had a wide grin on her face.

The little creature squinted at it and then at her, before swishing his tail and taking off towards the sanctum. Entrapta looked at her own letter in her hands and then slipped it back into her hair.

“Psst, hey!”

She turned and looked down to find those same mysterious eyes once again.

A voice the eyes seemed to belong to asked, “Was that an invitation to the Princess Ball?”

Entrapta failed to hide her grin.

“Nooooooo…it’s…it’s” She struggled to think of something to say and then, “it’s just some blueprints!” 

The eyes narrowed at her, and she openly smiled again.

“What are the blueprints of?”

“Ooooooh well…hm,” She paused as she thought about it, and then she mimed a motion that signaled she remembered, “They were, of _Nunya._”

“What? Nunya what?”

She smiled wider as she slowly reached over to close the slits of the opening and as they almost closed, she spoke one last time.

“_Nunya business._”

When she shut them, she cackled, then promptly moved on to get to her room.

Kyle was hunched on the shoulders of Rogelio and shifted as he moved away from the now closed vent grille.

Lonnie stared up at him with her arms crossed, her ass was still sore from the fall, and asked, “Well?”

Kyle smirked at her, “I think Lord Hordak and the Vent Princess are going to prom.”

-

Entrapta landed in her little room, and she couldn’t help doing a little hop of excitement with her hair before her feet could even touch the floor.

There was going to be another princess ball! After the attack that happened last time, she feared there wouldn’t be another one. Now that she had received her invitations, however, her joy skyrocketed. She wasn’t able to properly collect all the data she had hoped for, and it had greatly disappointed her at the time, but she should have enough to compare it to any new data she will collect. She couldn’t wait to analyze all the different nations that would be there and examine the new data regarding any new socio developments between all the different people there. _OHHHH_ and the tiny food! The tiny burrito rolls were as cute as they were tasty! She used her hair to swing over to one of the boxes where she kept the data regarding the people at the ball, and as she was digging through the files, her mind drifted off.

They’ve been there a while now.

The floor is empty, the sky above is darkened, and the light of the moon drifts down from the sky. Some clouds swirl around, but all in all it remains a clear night. It is cool, but not too cold as a hint of the sound of wind is heard. There are different people scattered around, but their exact features aren’t apparently visible. There are flickering fires lining the sides of support beams, and they dance in a rhythm all their own. Eventually, a soft tune begins, and the people mingling direct their attention to the musicians. 

Entrapta feels a hand on the small of her back, and she can’t help but smile.

She turns to look at him, right into his eyes. She never turns away from the bright red that shone from them and it never bothered her. She raises a hand to his face, to brush away a hair that hung there and he closed his eyes.

Then she hears a knock on the door.

Her hair frazzles as she is thrown out of her daydream, her head snaps around to look at the entrance of the lab and her eyes land on imp idly sprawled at the top of the vent leading to her room. The look he wore as he stared at her with a ration bar in his claw, most likely stolen, could only be described as a smug anime face. She stuck out her tongue, then hurried to the door and slapped the button to open it with her palm. As the door opened it revealed Hordak’s forlorn face. His eyebrows were drawn together, and he was worrying the corner of his bottom lip. In his hands lay the letter delivered to him by Imp and it was creased with the amount of times he had fiddled with it before arriving at Entrapta’s room. He stood as tall as usual, barely under the height of the doorframe, though he had curled in on himself slightly at the sight of her apparent happiness. 

She beamed at him, “Hordak!” And then pounced onto him with a hug.

To his credit he hesitated for only a second before taking one of his hands and hugging the small of her back, and for some reason, it made her squeak. Her hair wrapped around him too, and he was glad he didn’t need much air as it squeezed him. After a moment she pulled away and couldn’t help a glance to his lips as she bounced back to her feet.

“Please come in!”

She immediately swung to her desk, and took out the file she needed, and began configurating it to a new tablet. Meanwhile, Hordak took a deep breath and stepped into the room before he turned to shut the door. As he then moved to her, he studied the way her hair curled and moved in its relaxed form. The way it sloped up from her shoulders and into her iconic pigtails. She was still buzzing with excitement so some parts of it were curling around itself, tying into knots and then untying. Over the years he has known her, he has learned much of the way she has felt is based on how her hair responded to stimuli. It was fascinating, and he’s never encountered anything like it. Just another thing that amazes him about her. He then drags a chair and settles it by her side so he may take a seat. The creased letter still rests in his hand, and he folds it, setting it on the desk beside her. As he finally goes to sit down, he glances up behind him at Imp as the little creature stares down at them, chewing slowly on his ration. Hordak then hisses at him to leave. He rolls his eyes and slips away, and Hordak prepares himself for what he is about to say.

He knew he had to just get it off his chest before he got caught up in her beauty again so he just simply uttered it, “I would prefer…if we did not go…to the ball.”

The bright smile on Entrapta’s face falters and he feels his heart freeze. His palms grow sweaty as his talons dig into his seat. 

“You don’t have to be all nervous” she simply said, “If you don’t want to go, then I don’t, and we don’t have to.” 

His face quickly moved from anxious nerves to slight surprise, and he swallows deeply before responding, “I..erm…thank you. Though I was also thinking of another solution. Perhaps you could still go and just take someone else with you? I feel you would want to experiment and of course, enjoy yourself in the…festivities.”

“Hordak…” She snapped off her goggles and looked at him, her eyebrows tipped upwards and her expression open, “The only person I want to go with, is you.”

He was shocked into silence, and immediately looked down into his lap, and his ears were tinged with blue. Entrapta turned her chair to face him, just to really appreciate the way Hordak was now fidgeting with the hem of his long skirt. Her eyes danced over his face and the way the glow of his eyes reflected downward into the pink diamond on his collar. Then further downward at his long limbs and big claws. She couldn’t help but notice that despite how large his form was, there was a grace about him that always made her heart skip a beat. He had his ankles crossed below his seat and his knees were tightly held together and hidden under the length of his skirt. She found herself leaning on her arm which was bent on the arm rest, while her other hand twiddled with a lock of her hair as she openly studied him. She has never met anyone as fascinating as him, and everything about him seemed utterly beautiful. The silence stretched on for a few more moments before he murmured, and it was almost quiet enough to be kept under his breath.

_Almost._

“I don’t know how to dance.”

Entrapta was once again knocked out of her thoughts, as those words made her eyes widen into saucers. She watched as the blush on his ears drifted onto his cheeks, and it bloomed beautifully. She stood up, and he still couldn’t meet her eyes, face tilted down. So she kneeled in front of him and maneuvered her hair under the iron tight grip he had on the chair, and when she laid his claws in her hands there were noticeable holes under it, but she didn’t care. She held both his hands in hers, and she squeezed them tight.

“How long have we known each other?”

“11 years”

She lifted his hands to her lips and looked up at him as she kissed them chastely. His eyes mirrored hers earlier and also grew wide. The glow of eyes and the flush of his cheeks made a lovely combination, she thought.

“Let me teach you.”

He could barely breathe as he watched her lips make each syllable of the words. Then he turned away again, but she followed his gaze and pleaded to him with her eyes.

“I’ll step on you…” he said.

“That’s ok I probably will too.”

She was grinning again and dared to let her hand wander up his arm.

“When I was back in Dryl I used to practice with my robots.” She reached up to touch the pink diamond on Hordak’s collar before continuing, “I would program them with different types, the salsa, the tango, the Etherian slide, among others…”

She traced the lettering engraved on the rock and ignored Hordak’s erratic breaths, “I would imagine that we were somewhere else. Outside at night with every star in the sky and the moon at it’s fullest, and we would just slowly rock together. Though I didn’t bring them with me here, I pretend sometimes, to dance with you.”

Hordak was staring into the void, unable to process much. Though he felt Entrapta’s hand on his face, and how it pushed him to look at her. She had a soft, beautiful, smile on her face.

“I-I was listening, I heard you-”

“I know,” she reassured, “Just, _please_, let me teach you.”

A beat passed as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“Alright…”

She beamed at those words and shot upward with her hair. She moved to the center of the room and pushed away all the boxes until there was an open area. Then she turned to him and let herself sink to the ground until she was on her feet. Then she slowly walked to him, looking into his eyes the entire time, before extending a hand.

“Will you please join me for this dance?”

Hordak shyly took her hand and joined her in the center. She took the hand that joined with his and directed it away from their bodies, then she placed his claw on her shoulder. Finally, she placed her own hand on his waist, and Hordak’s heart skipped another beat.

At this point, he was probably going to have a heart attack before this is over.

To distract himself from his thoughts and nerves he asked, “Shouldn’t there be music?”

“Later” she said, “I need to teach you how to move with the rhythm first, so we’re just going to start with a basic slow dance.” 

…

“…Rhythm?”

Entrapta let out a giggle and covered her face with her hair, and nodded an affirmative, then she began to count a beat.

“Ok, follow my lead, one…two…three…”

-

They practiced for a couple of hours, and she led during the entirety of it. As time went on, he grew more and more comfortable with his movements, but the gentle guide of her hand on the small of his back never left his mind. When she tried to do a twirl with him, he almost fell over, but she caught him. As the night wore on and she felt he was getting better, her hair reached behind her and Hordak tilted his head to look.

“Music?”

“Yes, your getting the hang of the movements quite nicely.”

In the hours that passed his blush had dimmed, but her compliments would always cause it to spike in the brightness of the color, and he didn’t respond. She smiled at him again, before laying her head on his chest as her hair searched. Eventually an old beaten up record player is dug out of the boxes, along with a selection of albums. The record player is set on top of another box and is dragged towards them. At the same time, she brings her albums to her face so she could see them. When Hordak tried to catch a peek, she moves a wisp of her hair to cover his eyes, and he let out an indignant sound.

“You can’t see! I want you to be surprised…”

“This is ridiculous,” his blush bloomed a deeper blue.

“Yes, yes, but the subject of the experiment can’t know the variables or it’ll throw everything off, you know that.”

His ears drooped and twitched, and she knew it was because he was worried about something and answered his thought, “This isn’t just an experiment to me, just so you know. I consider moments like these as much as an experience as it is an experiment, and vice versa, and I love being with you.”

Although he thought it was impossible, his blush seemed to get darker, and he once again didn’t respond in fear he would make himself blush more. Instead he just chose to let out of a huff of a sigh, and she giggled once more before redirecting her attention to the music. It needed to be something slow so Hordak would be able to keep up, but also romantic, because she wanted to kiss him during it. As she flipped through, she found the perfect one, and set the rest back into the box. She took the record out of the sleeve and slipped it gently into the player before pressing the button for the song to begin. As the opening instrumental began to play, she rubbed circles into the small of Hordak’s back and released the hair from his eyes.

_Mmm mmm mmm_ _mmm_

“Just remember, the beat of the song is your rhythm, and just follow my lead.”

_Mmm mmm mmm mmm_

_“_And if I get confused…I can just sway until I find my footing again”

_So this is love_

“Yes, exactly”

_Mmm mmm mmm mmm_

He nodded and took a breath, and she pulled him closer to her. 

_So this is love_

_So this is what makes life divine_

_I'm all aglow_

_Mmm mmm mmm mmm_

_ and now I know_

_ **and now I know**_

_The key to our heaven is mine; **The key to our heaven is mine**_

There was a gap in between beats so she chanced it and spun him around, and it was considerably more graceful than last time. She then laid her head on his chest, smiling, and he squeezed their hands together.

_My heart has wings_

“You’re doing really well”

_Mmm mmm mmm mmm_

“Thank you, you are too”

_ and I can fly_

_  
I'll touch every star in the sky; **I’ll touch every star in the sky**_

She looked up at him and met his eyes.

_  
So this is the miracle that; **So this is the miracle that **_

_I've been dreaming of; **I’ve been dreaming of**_

_  
Mmm mmm mmm mmm_

Then she leaned in.

** _Mmm mmm mmmmm mmm_ **

He moved his hand from her shoulder, as he held the back of her head in their first kiss.

_So this, **So this,**_

_ Is, **Is,**_

_Love. **Love.**_

-

They danced for a few more hours to different slow songs, before moving to more faster beats. Entrapta was very impressed with how quickly he was picking up the moves, but he just told her it was because he had a very good teacher. They lost track of how much time had passed, and Entrapta eventually started to feel tired. She was holding him in their last dance of the night and Hordak was gently running his hand through her hair, when he spoke up.

“I was thinking…” he pressed his lips into her forehead in a soft kiss.

She looked up at him with a slow and lazy look, the sway of their movements rapidly accelerating her exhaustion.

“Yes?”

“Let’s go to the ball.”

“What! REALLY!!!?”

The entirety of her hair seemed to curl all around him and he startled as the hand that was running through her hair got sucked into the writhing mass, like quicksand.

“Uh, Yes! Dancing seems to be quite enjoyable, and we have close to a month to plan for everything else so, why not?”

  
He poorly held back a laugh as she peppered his face with kisses.

“What made you change your mind?” There was a twinkle in her eye, as she already knew the answer, though Hordak indulged her.

“Hm…It’s the same thing that has so utterly inspired me to change everything.”

He kissed her once again, slow and soft.

“You.”


	2. With Needle and Six-Sided Hex Driver We Bind Our Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak returns to the needle and thread to make him and entrapta's outfits for the princess ball, but some underlying issues jump out, though he's reminded why those thoughts haven't determined who he's become.

The Night before the Ball.

Within the shadows that hung above, below, and within the expanses of the fright zone lay Hordak’s sanctum, and within those winding hallways Hordak’s lab loomed on the outside as menacing as ever. The lights above flickered, and the glow from the key pad shone red, reaching to the vents above. The light from below wasn’t terribly bright, but if Imp tilted his head just right, he found that the colors mixed together to make a faint orange. He was having fun as well, dangling his tail down to create a spade shaped shadow, startling the soldiers whom would unfortunately walk through where the silhouette cast on the wall. Eventually, he finished the gray ration bar that was actually given to him for a change and climbed through to where the lab was, the other two ration bars held tightly in his grip as he crawled. His tail swirled lazily above him as he moved into the room where Hordak now sat hunched in his seat, focus completely centered on his project. Imp stared at the Horde Leader for a moment, yellow eyes stagnating, before he continued softly as ever.

Despite living with his taller moody predecessor for almost 18 years now, he could still sneak past him as easily as ever. He also found through observation, that Hordak’s focus on this project made him exceptionally easy to startle, too. Imp stopped at the vent grille right above Hordak’s working table, where a long black cloth was being fashioned into something boring most likely. Imp tilted his head to look at the work, a single ear twitching, before setting down the ration bars at his side. Then, while slowly maneuvering the vent open, he posed to strike, and then jumped. Imp’s eyes lay slited with mirth until Hordak’s eyes shot out of no where to meet his, the bright red in them also slited with an opposite emotion Imp didn’t want to think of, and with swiftness, caught the little creature in the air. Hordak then gently set him down, and Imp boofed.

“Must you continually bother me while I work, you _foul_ demon?”

Imp thumped his tail and smugly nodded and Hordak shook his head, “Is there something you needed…?”

Imp extended his little wings and flapped back to the vent, taking a second to look for something. Hordak sighed and looked up to where he flew to and said, “If you just came to startle me _aga_-”

He was interrupted by two ration bars slapping him in the face, and when they slipped off his ears followed them, tilting down and betraying his annoyance. Then not evening wanting to think of a response, he let out a long, exhausted, groan as the little creature cackled above him. This had been going on for weeks now, and it was beginning to delay his work on the gown for the princess ball. In fact, today was the last full day before it would occur and he had been working since dawn to finish it in time. Also, he still needed to try it on!

Though, he supposed his little spy was bored from the lack of attention from his master, but really, this was quite immature. He massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to relax the tension that had built up in his shoulders from sitting at his worktable for so long. Then when he actually began to think about it, thought he could really appreciate a bite to eat. As he was getting a little tired and could use a boost. So, he reached over to grab one as well as the other that had fell on the floor before swinging his eyes upward to look at the giggling mischievous creature, “Was there anything else you wanted to tell me little one?”

Imp gave him the side eye and then flew down to his table, opening his mouth.

Hordak was scooting his chair back in, ration bars in hand, when he heard her. She was humming, but it was a specific melody. A familiar one.

_…So this is love_

_Mmm mmm mmm mmm_

_So…this…is love_

_So Mm Mm what makes life mmm mmm_

_Mmm mmm mmmmmm_

_Mmm mmm mmm mmm…_

_…_

_Oh! Imple-! _

A distinct squeak could be heard through the recording.

_Hey, no no, c’mere _

There’s the sound of footsteps, then another more surprised squeak

Then, a soft purring sound emanates and Hordak assumes Entrapta pets Imp

_Wait here a minute! _

More footsteps, but they fade away, and then a rustling sound is heard, and then the footsteps return.

_I want you to take these to Hordak okay? And don’t eat them! _

_…_

_Okay you can have one, but only one! And-_

_Hordak, _

He had closed his eyes as he listened, but they shoot open and his ears flick as he hears his name.

_I’m almost done, and I’m super duper excited for you to see what I got! Oooooh I can’t wait for the ball!_

_I’ll see you there in a bit! Toodles! _

The transmission ends and Imp shuts his mouth, tilting his head and smirking while regarding how Hordak seems to entreat into himself, the glow of his eyes growing hazy as a small smile graces his face. Also over the 18 years Imp has known Hordak, he has noted that since the purple one entered their lives, his master seems to smile more, as does he. Hordak takes a deep breath, eyes blinking to clear his thoughts as he opens one of the bars, setting the other by his needle and thread. After he swallows his last bite he nods to Imp and says softly, “Thank you.” 

The little creature chirped and swished his tail, yellow eyes seeming to brighten. Then, Hordak got up and dragged another seat to his workbench and patted it.

“Here, sit while I finish.”

The little creature complied, hopping onto the seat and sitting, only his nose could be seen from above the worktable.

“Alright good, now where was I…?”

Hordak smoothed out his gown where it lay and found where he last left his stitching near the collar. He nodded and then grabbed his needle, having to pinch it between the pads of his index and thumb. With his other claw, he took the end of his thread and after a couple of attempts passed it through the eye of the needle, finally tying the end into a sturdy knot. He then continued sewing the rest of the seam, making sure not to overlay the edge stich he had laid down. Once he got to the end, he pulled it taut, then used his teeth to cut the line, the quickest flash of red appearing before the black thread is cut loose. He ties it into another knot, and with that, is finished. He stands up from his chair, and carefully puts his hand through the bottom of the gown to the collar and takes in a breath, before flipping it outside in, and then lifting it off the table to waft in front of him. He looked it up and down and turned it around. Imp had hopped onto the table to look as well and his tiny eyebrows were raised on his head. A good sign thought Hordak.

“Well.” He lowered the gown but made sure to not let it touch the floor in the mess of cut of threads and shorn bits of fabric.

“Time to try it on”

-

After stepping out of the mechanical arms that helped dissemble his power armor, he tried to ignore the dull pain that seemed to throb through the many scars on his arms, legs, and now face. He looked up towards Imp, who was laying on the worktable looking away from him, towards the vents above them. Hordak then turns to the mirror and in front of it, the gown that now hung on the rack closest to him, with the cape, along with the other outfit for the ball he had finished. Below the clothing sat the shoes that went with them, ordered from a special shoemaker in the crimson wastes, whom he was fond of. His eyes went over the outfit in the plastic sleeve, then the sleek black number and cape that was meant for him. He found himself starting to miss the comfort of the glow from the pinkish diamond at his collar and rubbed his jugular. After a steady twitch from his ears, he pushed through his hesitancy and slipped the dress on. He gently guided his scarred arms through the carefully constructed arm holes and couldn’t help staring at the large openings in his own arms as well. On the garment, there were no zippers or buttons or anything, he wanted something he could quickly slip on, plus he didn’t want anything to distract with the sleek look. To substitute for this, he used a more flexible material, like a viscose-nylon blend. He also made sure to double check his measurements, and… voilà! It fit perfectly!

Well, it’s a little snug around the neck and waist, but he can live with that. He flattens it out, making sure to not catch any of the material with his claws. Then he lifts the cape that still hung on the rack and felt the velvety material it was made out of. It was black on the outside, like his gown, but it was a bright red on the inside, like his eyes. He let go of it, deciding he just wanted to see what he looked like in the gown first. Sticking to his motifs of no visible clasps, he had sewn magnets into the collars of both the cape and gown, wanting to test the reliability of magnets when it came to clothing. A ball was perfect to test this out, to see if other people would notice or not. Also, it was much easier to do then multiple buttons or a zipper, which decreased the probability for him making a mistake, as he was far from being a perfect sewer-!

But that’s okay.

He began to realize he really just wanted to throw it on to cover the scarring that was revealed by backless and slited dress, and he quickly pushed that thought away. He knew he would look great, of course he would! He’s the leader of the horde! Though as he continued on his way to the mirror, he found he was looking down at the floor until he was right in front of it. Meanwhile Imp let out a sleepy yawn from behind him. Alright, enough of this foolishness! He thought, he was going to look at the mirror and see how great he looked!

Hordak blinked as he continued his staring contest with the floor. His eyes narrowed as he grew angry.

Alright, alright, he was going to count to three first, and _then_ look at the mirror.

…

He took in a breath.

1…

2…

_3…_

_Now! _

His head shot up and his eyes immediately landed on his scars. The blue bits had spread up, as the paleness of his skin shrunk near the crook of his elbow, face, and legs. He was used to the new spots on his face, though he hasn’t really checked the increased discoloration of the rest of his body in a while, and he couldn’t help focusing on it. He traced the open holes on his arms, first the one on his left and then the one on his right. Suddenly though, imp was next to him, wings flapping loudly. Hordak almost jumped as he turned to him with a smile flickering on his face.

“Well? What do you think?” The little creature chirped in response.

Hordak then looked back in the mirror and really saw how the dress draped on his frame, how his leg peaked through the slit. Then he turned around and looked at the backless portion, and how the cracks of discoloration peaked through from where the bottom of the split in the dress began, to the top of his collar.

The dress came out…very nice.

Though, as foolish as it was, he had thought that maybe he wouldn’t need the cape. Though of course he would’ve, of course, the Etherians at the ball would ‘go ham’ if they saw his weaknesses. The mighty Hordak was falling apart, they would surely think, and he could not let these ideas even enter their imaginations. Though the war with Etheria had long been over, with their combined efforts now being taken in combating Horde Prime’s vastly annoying army, old habits die hard. To make the point, he straightened his back and set his face into his normal scowl.

Though looking in the mirror again he’d just wish…it were different.

Then he heard a metallic knock from the vent in the center of the room.

He froze.

He tried to ignore the fear that he felt but it bloomed anyway.

The thought stopped as he saw in the corner of his eye Imp flying into the vent to greet her. Also, to buy him some time, the sweet thing.

He quickly moved to the rack and swung the cape around his shoulders, magnets clicking by his collar. It worked perfectly, of course it did. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, this was fine. Stop panicking. She likes _you_, remember that, he told himself. He flattened down any imagined wrinkles in the gown and straightened his back once again, trying not to fidget without her crystal around his neck. He glanced upward to see Imp’s tail hanging down from where they were most likely conversing. A thought then entered his mind and he turned around, back towards the vent in question, ears tilted up, and hands on his hips to widen the extent of his cape.

Then he heard the indescribable sound of her hair opening up the vent, then a bristle as it lowered her, the dull thump of her feet landing on the ground, and finally the flap of Imp’s wings as he came after her.

Moment of truth, he thought.

He looked at her over his shoulder, without turning, and her eyes were sparkling as they wandered over his form.

“OOOh a cape? Without a high collar?? So I can see your pretty hair???”

He was proud of himself as he fought off the blush.

“Yes, and that’s not all-”

“Are you naked under there?”

The blush he fought of returned with a blue vengeance at his ears as the mental image entered his mind, and Entrapta looked smug at the reaction she caused. Imp looked between her and Hordak and hissed a disgusted blech and shot back into the vents, faster than the explosion of a failed portal.

“N-no, let me just-”- 

He spun around with a flourish, hands still on his hips. The ends of the gown and cape wrapped around his calves for a moment before unwinding and revealing itself in seemingly slow motion. He made sure to press one of his legs against the slit as it settled so it could be clearly seen.

“Well, my dear? What do you-”

With a screech, she was running to him before he could finish. She cast down her bag to the floor as she jumped into his arms, and he couldn’t hold back the smile as he spun them around. He knew he probably shouldn’t have, considering he didn’t have his armor on, but he let that thought rest in the back of his head. Though for some reason, she seemed to feel lighter? Like, unusually so? He looked up from where she had tucked her head into the crook of his neck to see that her hair was tied upward to the ceiling above, and had entwined itself as they spun, in seeing this, he genuinely smiled. Though it was immediately smooshed as she began to kiss all over his face. His ear’s flicked as his blush bloomed brighter. When the familiar pain from his scars began to reintroduce itself more seriously now, even with the help of her hair, he squeezed her waist before setting her down. She stared up at him with adoring eyes, their magenta color he still found hard to meet.

“Hordak.” She began prancing in one place, eyes twinkling, “You look _beautiful_! It came out so well! AAAAA!!!”

In an effort to keep himself from blushing any further he directed her to the rack, “If you think this is great then wait until you view yours.”

She immediately turned to look and walked over, already unzipping the ensemble from the plastic bag. He went to follow her and grimaced as pain flared up in his lower back. It was beginning to tighten, which would make it harder to move, unless…

Her back was to him, so she wouldn’t notice, he reasoned. Making up his mind, he quickly took his forearm and put it behind his back and then twisted until an audible crack resounded, and the tension dissipated. He also rolled his neck until it popped and massaged his shoulder as he continued to walk forward. Before he had the power armor that Entrapta made for him, he would constantly pop his joints, if he didn’t, they would get too tense to crack and he would be bedridden for hours, forced to lay on a container of hot water. It worried him that so little time out of the suit would have him tensing up and in pain so quickly, but he pushed that thought away. He walked to the rack, and Entrapta had the suit in her arms and was staring at it intently. He lifted up one of the long sleeves and began explaining how he made it. It was a fairly long and extensive process, especially considering the 9 buttons haphazardly sewn down the center, but Entrapta didn’t seem to look deterred by it so he continued. He went through every aspect of the outfit and then finally to her shoes which still sat on their place in the ground. He bent slowly to pick them up and show them to her, and her hair fluffed up as she looked at the well-made laces and detailed design.

It was time for his eyes to twinkle as he said, “Guess who made it.”

Entrapta’s forehead creased as she leaned down trying to think, “A shoemaker in the crimson wastes…?”

He gave her a couple moments to ponder before she shrugged, “No names come to mind, which is surprising since there mostly there most likely aren’t many people from the crimson wastes who can make such nice footwear!”

Hordak nodded, “You are right, there is only one…”

  
He let go of the long sleeve he still had grasped in his hand. The moment he had ordered the shoes from the former force captain, he had this reveal planned and was terribly excited.

He raised both hands in the air, cupped them, and made hand movements that looked like pincers. 

It took Entrapta only a second to recognize who he was referring to and her eyes went wide as her hair frizzed out, “_Scorpia? How?” _

“Well…after she and you-know-who got banished to the crimson wastes…again. They both apparently went their separate ways, but Scorpia managed to build a shoe shop out of some bar of some sort? Apparently, the hot desert wastes really tear through the soles of shoes, so she has made quite a profit. She actually made both of our shoes for the ball for free.”

Entrapta smiled again, but it was sadder, “I really miss Scorpia.” She looked down, and then wrapped a lock of hair around his wrist, a sign he knew that meant she wanted to ask him something, “Can’t she be un-banished, _please_.”

He’s never been able to say no to her, “Why don’t we talk to her later, over the transmitter, and figure something out?”

Entrapta leaned forward and his smile melted away as they kissed, feeling warmth fill his every vein.

When the kiss broke, she replied, “That sounds like a _great _idea Sweetie”

Entrapta laid one more peck on his cheek and the ear next to it flicked as she looked over the entirety of her suit, a smile slowly growing until it reached cheek to cheek, her expression then softened.

“I love you.”

Hordak’s eyes widened, heart seemingly right by his ears but also sunken to the pit of his stomach.

Wait.

She loves him? She _loves_ _him_? _Him_? Out of everyone else in this entire planet…

He stared into her eyes, and the pure adoration shined there, along with the indescribable softness that love procured, and she waited, hand on the nape of his neck. She was patient for him, always was, willing to wait and teach and let him learn that it was okay to be weak, to be imperfect, and now she was teaching him it was okay to be loved.

“Love you too.”

He continued to stare into her eyes as they filled overwhelmingly with joy, and then felt the hand on his neck move to his face, thumb rubbing the underside of his ear, and his eyes fluttered shut. Suddenly it was like he never experienced a day of pain in his life.

He nuzzled his face into her palm and laid a kiss in it, then she said, “Now, let me show you my stuff!”

She left his side and he could feel the air cool where she had been and picked up his dress delicately to walk to her. His face now seems to be permanently fixed with a soft smile, and he slowly padded after her. She was rummaging through her bag and picked up two items. She laid out the corsage and boutonniere first, before reaching back down and gently bringing up a necklace, and Hordak’s eyes widened. It was a solid metal torque necklace that thinned in the back and flattened out and widened in the front. It was pitch black save for the etched first one’s lettering that he knew now said ‘LUVED’. He felt his entire body seem to soften looking it, and Entrapta placed two other objects next to them, bangle bracelets. They were thin, but wide, just like the necklace and had the same first one’s writing etched on the surface. At this point he had sunk into his seat, eyes betraying all the love he felt for his fantastic scientist.

“Let me put them on you.” She said, and first she lifted the necklace, going around the table towards him.

She slipped it through his neck, and it lay elegantly on his sternum. He touched the etching on the surface, feeling the shape of the grooves and the dip in the material. Then Entrapta grabbed both bracelets, and as she slipped the last one on, the jewelry began to glow.

“What-?”

His eyebrows creased as suddenly a warm feeling seeped straight into his bones. It was almost like he was in a sauna? But it wasn’t the physical feeling of warmth, it was more like a good soreness? It was very hard to describe, but he realized, his pain was dulling away too. It was still faintly there, but it wasn’t as apparent and he began to relax. He looked up to Entrapta again, with an incredulous smile on his face, though It was dim compared to hers, which seemed to be brighter than Sirius A.

“How…?” he simply asked.

Her eyes twinkled once more as she dived into the explanation, “_Well. _I was roaming through our storage of first one’s tech and came upon this little doozy that’s in your adornments right now. I took it out and tried some tests on it with no reaction. However, I set it down near some of my tools and when I went to grab it again, I noticed that my wrenches and screwdrivers were now warm to the touch, and they were made out of solid metal! So, it turns out, it causes an exothermic reaction to high levels of iron, or other metals. Now-”

“_That’s_ why you took my blood sample!”

Entrapta nodded excitedly as Hordak let out a huff of a laugh and continued, “Yes! And when I placed it near said blood sample, I noticed under the microscope that the warming of the metals in the blood, which you have a higher concentration of, would cause them to congeal with haem faster and increase your blood cell count which in humans is more dangerous since it might trigger clots or even a heart attack, but for you it’s different as the deterioration of your scars-” Hordak shifted in his seat, “Causes you to loose blood cells at a more rapid level. So, while you wear them it’ll better insulate you from that decay, and as a result: you’ll experience less pain and will have more strength. It’s not as effective as the first one’s tech on your power armor, but for a 3-hour ball? According to my calculations, and they are correct, it’s perfectly imperfect! So? What are your thoughts? How does it feel?”

Hordak took a deep breath, enjoying the warmth under his skin. Then he reached over to take one of her hands, kissing it slowly.

“Do you know how after a kiss, how you feel warm after?”

Entrapta’s eyes went half lidded as she nodded, and he kisses her other hand, “That’s exactly how it feels.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so....this was orginally going to be two chapters, and then this chapter kept getting longer, and its still long! So uh sorry to the people who don't like reading longer things? I hope you still enjoyed it though! Im loving writing this story lol, and next chapter they shall go to the ball! Maybe meet some people who-shalt-be-unnamed, ;)   
also it might take me a while to write it cause of hurricane dorian deciding to sit like right beside the state of florida wow thanks and also my college still making me go to school :,,,,,)

**Author's Note:**

> Hordak with a sewing needle and thread in both hands while posing in front of a long trail of fabric:  
No one:  
Not a single soul:  
Hordak: Long ass cape part 2 Electric Bugaloo  
-  
This was really really really enjoyable to write and trust me when I say the next chapter is gonna be very, very spicy. I was inspired for this fic by a lil something written by the lovely, etherian-affairs on tumblr, as well as the outfit designs created by raegeii, also on tumblr! These are the specific posts:  
https://raegeii.tumblr.com/post/186963406376/back-in-2017-when-we-were-working-on-princess-prom  
https://etherian-affairs.tumblr.com/post/187234250001/entrapta-dragging-hordak-to-princess-prom-hosted  
I'll update this fic on Thursday of next week. Although if you'd like to read something else I have another fic I'm writing too for this pairing that I'm going to update on this Thursday if your interested, it's going to be a lot more angsty tho so just fyi:  
https://archiveofourown.org/works/20368219/chapters/48302533  
Anyway, thanks to everyone who has read this ! I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave your thoughts in the comments if you so choose. I hope everyone who see's this has a wonderful week and that nothing but goodness befalls you, thank you once again, :>


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